LSU’s Digital Twin of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice is an immersive, interactive
digital representation of one of the world’s most significant cultural heritage sites.
The project captures the cathedral’s architectural form, spatial complexity, and historical
significance, enabling research, preservation planning, and public engagement through
a high-fidelity yet accessible digital environment.
The digital twin combines spatial computing, 3D capture techniques, and real-time
visualization to recreate St. Mark’s Cathedral in a navigable virtual space. Using
photogrammetry, 3D modeling, and interactive rendering workflows, the project allows
users to explore architectural details, materials, and spatial relationships while
supporting analysis, annotation, and interpretive storytelling.
The project provides students and researchers with hands-on experience in digital
heritage preservation, spatial computing, and immersive visualization. By working
with a globally significant historical site, learners develop interdisciplinary skills
relevant to careers in architecture, digital humanities, cultural preservation, visualization,
and extended reality, while gaining experience with real-world documentation and modeling
challenges.
LSU’s Digital Twin of St. Mark’s Cathedral reflects collaboration across disciplines
including digital media, architecture, and cultural heritage research, with engagement
from international partners connected to the stewardship and study of the cathedral.
The project demonstrates LSU’s commitment to global collaboration and the use of digital
twin technologies to support cultural preservation and scholarly exchange.
